What's Next for our Seniors?

As we congratulate the class of 2013, we wish them the best of luck as they leave Whitman and continue their pursuits elsewhere!

Kevin Dyer: English Major; Carson City, Nevada.  Kevin is neck-deep in the job search, trying to find a position in Admissions at a college in the Northwest.  He and his Fiance, Brianna-- another 2013 Whitman grad--are getting married this summer.

Paul Chang: Chemistry Major; Carson City, Nevada.  Paul will spend next year working for a non-profit clinic while he applies to Medical School.

Tyler Hurlburt: Chemistry Major; Walla Walla, Washington.  Tyler will be starting to work on his PhD in Physical Chemistry at UC Berkeley next September.

Andrew Roehrig: Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology; Redmond, Washington.  Andrew is going to spend next year working for PATH, a Gates Foundation-funded health technologies nonprofit, while he continues the Medical School application process.

Galen Sollom-Brotherton: Studio Art and Art History Major; Dublin, California.  Galen transferred to Whitman as a Sophomore academically and a Junior in swimming eligibility and will be graduating from Whitman next year. 

Libby Arnosti: Environmental-Studies/Humanities Major; St. Paul, Minnesota.  Libby is sticking around Walla Walla next year and will be working as the Whitman Varsity Athletics Social Media and Electronic Communications Intern.  

Sara Behrens: Biology Major; Seattle, Washington.  Sara is planning on working in either a hospital or physical therapy practice while she applies for Physical Therapy school next year.
 

Katie Chapman: Geology Major; Kirkland, Washington.  Katie has an internship with the United States Geological Survey in Palo Alto, California, working at the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth.

Cari Cortez: Politics/Environmental Studies Major; Moses Lake, Washington.   Cari is returning to Moses lake for the summer and is looking for a job in economics or law.

Charlotte Graham: Biology Major; Mercer Island, Washington.  Charlotte is hoping to find a job working in Japan doing something in the biology field.

Helen Jenne: Math and Psychology Major; Shoreline, Washington.  Helen is studying math in Budapest, Hungary, next fall through spring.  She plans on applying to PhD programs in math while she is abroad.

Erin Kiskaddon: Biology Major; Richmond, California.  Erin is going to be working for a biologist next year, helping him write a book about the behavior of marine animals.  

Genay Pilarowski: Biology Major; Arcata, California.  Genay will be moving to Baltimore at the end of August where she will be starting to work towards her PhD in Human Genetics at Johns Hopkins  School of Medicine.

Rebecca Ryle: Math/Economics Major; Santa Cruz, California.  Rebecca is planning on moving back to Santa Cruz where she is hoping to find a job working in the financial sector.   

The Seniors at the 2013 Awards Banquet.  Congratulations!

The Class of 2013

In September, 2009, we welcomed 14 additions to the Whitman Swim Team.  Now, four seasons and countless hours of schoolwork later, we will watch on Sunday as the class of 2013 walks across the stage to receive their diplomas and officially become Whitman Swimming Alums--thus entitling them to the use of fins, paddles, early take-offs, mid-pool flip turns, and any other means of cheating in which they feel like engaging in at next October's alumni meet.  There is no question that without this class of swimmers Whitman would not be the team it is today.  Their impact and legacy will live on for years to come.

Here is an overview of all the individual record-breaking performances from the class of 2013 over the years:

• In 2010, Freshman Kevin Dyer broke school records in the 500 freestyle with his time of 4:42.42 and the 1000 freestyle with his time of 10:03.46.
• At the 2011 NWC Championships, the class of 2013 was responsible for 7 more individual school records: Katie Chapman won the 100 fly with a 57.44 and won the 200 IM in 2:09.79.  Katie also won the 200 butterfly at the 2011 NWC Championships and ranks 2nd all-time at Whitman in 200 IM and 200 fly, and still holds the school record in the 100 fly.  She was the NWC Championships Swimmer of the Meet in 2011. Paul Chang was second in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the NWC Championships with school record times of 58.54 and 2:08.76;  Kevin Dyer lowered his records in the 500 and 1000 freestyle to 4:42.37 and 10:03.38; he also set a new school record in the 1650 with a 16:37.22.
• At the 2012 NWC Champs, Paul Chang lowered his school records in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, getting second in both, with times of 58.20 and 2:06.82. Genay Pilarowski set a school record in the 100 breaststroke with a third-place effort of 1:06.61. Helen Jenne reset school records in two sprint freestyle events with times of 24.41 in the 50 and 53.31 in the 100 freestyle.  Galen Sollom-Brotherton also joined the team in the 2011-2012 season and set school records in the 500 freestyle (4:30.02), 1000 freestyle (9:28.24), 1650 freestyle (15:35.53) and 400 IM (3:59.24).  He won the 500, 400 IM and 1650 at the 2012 NWC Champs and qualified for NCAA DIII Nationals.  He was the 2012 NWC Swimmer of the Meet.  Galen placed 10th in the 500 freestyle and 8th in the 1650 freestyle at the 2012 NCAA DIII National Championships.
• Finally, in 2013 at the NWC Championships, Paul Chang lowered his breaststroke records yet again, achieving NCAA B cuts in both and winning an NWC Title in 100 with times of 57.53 in the 100 and 2:06.36 in the 200.  Genay Pilarowski also achieved an NCAA B cut in the 200 breaststroke and ranks second all-time at Whitman in the event with her time of 2:24.04.  Galen reset his own school records in the 500 (4:27.47), 1000 (9:21.73), and 1650 freestyle (15:34.00).  He also set a school record in the 200 freestyle (1:40.88).  Galen placed 2nd in the 500 freestyle at the NCAA DIII National Championships, and 7th in the 1650.  

On top of these fantastic individual achievements, the class of 2013 was hugely important in continuing to improve upon the values that Whitman Swimming holds so dearly: hard-work, being good teammates, and always striving to improve without losing touch of how fun it is to swim.  Put simply, they kept Swim Team Love going strong.  

We will miss each of our graduating seniors dearly as we move into the 2013-2014 season but we wish them all the best and can't wait to see them at the alumni meet next October!  Congratulations class of 2013!

Awards Banquet

Yesterday was the 2013 Varsity Athletics Banquet and Swimming Banquet.  Before we joined the rest of Whitman's Varsity Athletic teams in for a celebration of the accomplishments of Whitman Athletics in the past season, we gathered at the pool to sign all of our broken records and then had our own dinner and awards banquet. 

Here are pictures of many of this year's record breakers holding their broken records

Elise Tinseth ('16) holding the 400 IM record, the oldest record broken last season

Cameo Hlebasko ('16) broke the 200 backstroke record

Nic Win ('15) broke the 200 IM and 200 Backstroke records

Paul Chang ('13) beat his own records in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke

Karl Mering ('15) broke all four of last season's records: 100 and 200 fly, 50 and 100 free

Galen Sollom-Brotherton ('15) set four records as well: 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle

Sam Starr ('16) beat Kevin O'leary ('15) in the 100 backstroke this year

The Men's 400 Freestyle Relay broke a school and NWC record

The Men's 400 Medley Relay

Claire Collins ('14) with her three records: 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 IM

The Women's 800 Freestyle Relay team

The Women's 400 Medley Relay team

The team looking their best before the Varsity Athletics Banquet

Team-Nominated Awards

The following awards were voted on by our swimmers

Most Inspirational: This award goes to the man and woman who inspire all of us to challenge ourselves no matter what adversity we might face.  The winners were: Ellen Banks and Keller Hawkins; and Tyler Hurlburt.

Most Improved: Tazi Flory; and Robby Dorn and Loic McGiverin.  Tazi stepped up in a big way this season as she was called upon to swim just about every event, including the 1650 at the NWC Championships.  Robby had never swam a 200 breaststroke before this season and then he got 5th at the NWC Championships and ranks 4th all-time at Whitman.  Loic made HUGE gains in the sprint freestyle events this year.  He's going to be a NWC title threat in the future...

STL Superstar: This award goes to the swimmer with the most Swim Team Love, the person who never stops cheering no matter what.  This year's winners were Rachael Barton and Colin Orr.

Land Shark: Given in recognition of commitment, intensity, and focus during dryland training.  This year's winners were Charlotte Graham, and Tyler Hurlburt.

Workout Warrior: These individuals gave everything they had at each practice, regardless of how tired, sore, or overwhelmed they were with academics.  This year's winners were Nic Win and Helen Jenne.

New Missionary: This award goes to the first-year Man and Woman who represent the values that Whitman Swimming is all about: hard-work, dedication, respect, sportsmanship, and a burning desire to get faster.  This year's winners were Robby Dorn and Kendra Clinton.

MVP: More than just swimming, the Most Valuable Player is a model student-athlete and teammate.  This year's winners were Claire Collins and Karl Mering. 

Coach's Award

The Coach's Award goes to the Man and Woman who work hard every day to make themselves the best that they can be and to make the team the best that it can be.  They are accountable, hard-working individuals who are reliably great teammates and who always lead by example.

This years winners: Nic Win and Jennifer Tornay

Varsity Athletics Awards

Each year, the Athletic Department nominates and votes for "Most Outstanding Performer" awards for each class year.  This year, six of our swimmers were nominated for MOP awards, and four of them won: 

Elise Tinseth: Most Outstanding Freshman Female Performer

Sam Starr: Most Outstanding Freshman Male Performer

Karl Mering: Most Outstanding Sophomore Male Performer

Galen Sollom-Brotherton: Most Outstanding Senior Male Performer

The Athletic Department also nominates and votes for a Senior Man and Woman who they feel best represent what it means to be a student-athlete at Whitman College.  The names of recipients of the award, titled the Borleske Award, are etched onto a trophy in the Whitman Athletics Hall of Fame in Sherwood Athletic Center. The last male swimmer to receive this award was Clint Collier in 2008.  This year, we are proud to say that our own Senior, Kevin Dyer, is the recipient of the Borleske Award. 

Though not everyone on our team was recognized at last night's events, everyone on our team did a fantastic job this season.  I can't say how proud I am to be associated with this group of individuals.  This was without a doubt the most successful Whitman Swimming has ever been.  Thank you to everyone on the team for making my job so rewarding and fun; to Jamie, Robert, and Hise for being the extra coaches we so often need.  Without you three, we wouldn't have achieved what we did this year.  To our Whitman Swimming Parents--past and present--for your unceasing support and passion for this team.  To all of our Alumni for laying the groundwork for what happened this year; and to all the other fans of Whitman Swimming who helped make this season such a huge success!